Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist and… well, you know how this goes.
A/N: I dunno where this idea inspired from and I don't how it came up (I just have that talent in being spontaneous, I guess), but I loved this idea. The plot monkeys attacked me at exactly… 12:03 a.m. with this plot and they gnawed on my brain until I finally put it down into words. Needless to say, this story gave me warm and fuzzies all over, and I hope you enjoy!
Yellow
It was routine by now; he came with his arm needing tending, he stayed only long enough for it to be fixed, then he left again. But that didn't matter. No matter how many times she ran through this routine, it still somehow pained her more than the previous time it was run through. She didn't care, however. She'd endure that pain in the end numerous times over just to enjoy his stay for those two to three days. It was bittersweet, their return, but she enjoyed it.
This time wasn't any different from the last. Sure, she had scolded him for the nicks and small dents here and there that he'd sustained in his auto-mail, but she smiled after he and his brother tried to defend themselves. She won in the end, and she always had and always would.
Winry, with her lips pressed together in concentration, filled in one of the last remaining nicks before putting down her utensils and leaning back slightly on her bench. She stretched her arms above her head and pulled at her elbow with a gloved hand, feeling the tension loosen after a firm pull. She sighed through her nose and stared at the light fixture above her outstretched arms, and squinted as she thought she had seen the light pulsate around the glass fixture. She blinked, seeing the light's imprint upon her pupils on her eyelids in a blue haze and slowly got up.
Lunch would be ready soon, she guessed. Al was probably helping with that. She glanced back down at the auto-mail arm of Ed's she had just finished repairing and then looked away as if the sight bothered her, for it did. They'd be leaving soon. He would be leaving soon…
Speaking of which… She entered the hall and into the kitchen, smiling at Al as he stood with Pinako.
"Are you finished, Winry?" Al asked. Winry nodded with a proud bounce, "Brother's outside if you want to tell him." Al added. She nodded in recognition and continued to the front door where she stuffed her feet into a pair of shoes.
The day was still early and pleasantly warm with the occasional breeze. She loved days like these. She took in a long breath before looking around for the blonde alchemist. It didn't take too long, and she hesitated to join him as he lay on the grass, for she didn't know if it would disturb his serenity or not. He lay with his flesh arm folded beneath his braided head, legs crossed at the ankles and his red coat folded beneath his arm. He looked to be asleep, but as she made her way toward him, he opened a golden eye to her before slowly closing it again, gaining her the approval of her sitting. Not that she needed it, but she felt more comfortable when he accepted her presence. He'd never refuse it, though.
She sat there in silence a moment before she occupied herself with pulling grass from the ground around her folded legs. She let their comforting silence continue a while before she finally turned her gaze to him. She hadn't noticed that he had opened his eyes several times to stare at her back and then close them when he though she'd turn around.
"I'm finished with your auto-mail," she said, a hint of proud achievement laced in her words, "The internal barrel was replaced with sturdier material, so it may seem a bit heavier."
"…Mmhm…" he responded and she shifted her jaw to the side slightly at his lack of attention before letting her lips curl into a content smile. But, he was paying attention; to every word.
Another length of silence…
A breeze went through them, making her hair dance in it's ponytail around her arms. She absentmindedly pulled at blades of grass, letting them catch hold of the wind and blowing away, until her hands fell upon a stem. She looked down and recognized the buttercup that rested near her fingers. She plucked it from it's cling to the earth and gingerly ran a finger over it's lavender petals. She liked these wild plants. When she was little, she'd rub her nose in it's yellow pollen and laugh when it's yellow tinted the tip of her nose.
She glanced at Ed, who quickly closed his eyes before she noticed (and she hadn't).
"You know," she paused, waiting for him to open his eyes, and when he didn't, she continued, though, he was listening, "there's a old myth to these." she looked down at him. He opened his eyes and stared at the said "myth" before resting his amber gaze on her, then closing them again.
"Yeah? What's that?" he asked with contentment. There was a pause before he felt a feathery light touch brush against his chin. His eyes snapped open just as Winry pulled the buttercup from his chin and looked at it expectedly, leaning in slightly.
"What are you doing?" he asked confusedly, inclining himself on his elbow as she continued to stare at his chin before smiling widely in amusement and returning to a proper position.
"Trying to see if you're in love or not. So who is it?" She asked avidly, placing her palms on her knees and leaning on them so as to lean over him slightly.
"What? What the hell are you talking about?" he asked with a few wisps of pink staining across his cheeks. Winry pointed to his chin,
"They say that if you rub a buttercup on your chin and there's yellow left there, you're in love." she smiled, amusement still planted firmly on her face as well as the blush on his cheeks. "There's yellow there…"
"That's stupid!" Ed said, hurriedly rubbing the yellow pollen from his chin in frustration, "That's just a 'myth', you said so yourself. It doesn't work." he reasoned, the blush creeping to his ears now.
"Oh, come on." she laughed at him and his blush, "I won't tell anyone." he let out a mock laugh and got up completely now,
"There's nothing to tell." he said stubbornly as she pouted. She then smiled again,
"Do mine." she said, sticking her chin out and closing her eyes.
"Huh? No." she opened a eye and frowned, sticking out her bottom lip.
"Please? I did yours." she said, pointing to his chin that still had remains of the yellow pollen.
"I didn't say you could." he said stubbornly. She whined in mock hurt,
"C'mon, Ed, quit being such a stick in the mud." he sat with his legs crossed Indian-style and palm upon his metal knee, pointer finger tapping against it in a hurried and annoyed rhythm. He huffed curtly and stood up, grabbing his coat as he did so,
"No." he turned on his heel and walked toward the house, "You said my auto-mail was done, right?" he asked without wanting a answer as he made his way up the porch steps. Winry sat, a amused smile on her face, knowing she didn't need a plant to prove anything.
He didn't either; he had left the little bit of yellow pollen there for a reason.
A/N: I got much amusement from writing this. I did hear this proverb somewhere… But I don't exactly remember. Anyway, hope you liked! ;3